Oakland Spine News

Weekly Health Update—Chiropractic: Neck Ribs?

December 9, 2013

Mental Attitude: Stress and Eating.Nearly half of Americans believe their stress has increased over the past five years, and 33% say they are living with extreme stress. People who overindulge and those who shun food in times of stress compensate for their behavior when positive events occur. Stress eaters eat less following a positive experience, while stress shunners eat more. Overeating or eating unhealthy food when faced with stress is something 43% of Americans admit to doing, while 36% confess to skipping at least one meal in the last month due to stress.Psychological Science, November 2013

Health Alert: New Knees Please!Each year in the United States, over 600,000 knee replacement surgeries are performed. Younger patients who are obese may experience the same amount of (or more) pain and functional disability as older patients. Over half of knee replacement patients under age 65 were considered technically obese compared to 43% of knee replacement patients over age 65. Compared with the over 65 age group, twice as many younger knee replacement patients are in the morbidly obese category (BMI > 40).University of Massachusetts, October 2013

Diet: Holiday Survival Guide.1. Re-think appetizers. Incorporate healthier pre-meal snacks. Include berries, pineapple, and apples. 2. Smaller portions. You can still taste all the foods without overeating. 3. Don’t get stuffed. Just because there is more food sitting around does not mean you need to eat more. 4. Have a calorie-free chat instead of second helpings. Holidays are a great time to talk to loved ones. 5. Make sure you eat prior to a party or dinner. This will help avoid over-eating. 6. Exercise. Take a walk after your meal. This can prevent overeating, and also burns off some of the extra calories.Mayo Clinic, November 2013

Exercise: Improve Your Mood.Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.Mayo Clinic, November 2013

Chiropractic: Neck Ribs?A cervical rib in humans is an extra rib which comes off of the seventh cervical vertebra. Sometimes known as “neck ribs”, their presence is a congenital abnormality located above the normal first rib, which comes off the first thoracic vertebra. A cervical rib is present in only about 1 in 500 (0.2%) people. In even rarer cases, an individual may have two cervical ribs. The presence of a cervical rib can sometimes interfere with nearby blood vessels and/or nerves, resulting in neck pain or numbness in the arm known as thoracic outlet syndrome.National Health Service, August 2012

Wellness/Prevention: Music and the Mind.Despite not having played an instrument in 40 years, researchers found that people who completed 4-14 years of music training early in life had a one millisecond faster response to speech sound than people who did not play an instrument during their youth. This finding suggests that musical training early in life has a long-term benefit on how the brain processes sound.Journal of Neuroscience, November 2013

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